Cnidarian phylum members, including sessile anthozoa (anemone, corals), and the medusozoa sub phylum classes such as scyphozoa (common jellyfish) and cubozoa (tropical cuboidal jellies with venoms that result in high morbidity and mortality), are venomous sea life that sting hundreds of thousands of beach goers every year. For example, numerous life-threatening Chironex fleckeri and other cubozoan envenomations occur during summer months in North Queensland, Australia northward to Thailand. Symptoms of cnidarian stings include pain, wheals, urticarial, itching, swelling, tingling/numbness, nausea and vomiting, headache, muscle and joint problems, weakness/dizziness, fever, loss of consciousness, respiratory insufficiency, and heart problems. In some cases, infections and/or scarring or skin discoloration also occur. Current treatments are primarily directed at relief of symptoms or, in serious cases, support of cardiovascular integrity after envenomation. A few currently available “Sting Relief” type sprays are typically comprised of non-specific and or locally acting ingredients such as vinegar, lidocaine, papain, aloe, eucalyptus oil, and menthol. Nevertheless, over 100 people are estimated to die each year from cnidarian stings. There remains a need for effective therapies for such stings.
Fire ants sting millions of people per year. Fire ant stings are painful and can be deadly, particularly to small animals. There are currently no effective treatments for the root cause of ant venom pain and inflammation. Treatments are solely designed to address downstream symptoms of the stings. Furthermore, the composition of fire ant venom has not been well-understood, making treatment of bites more challenging. There remains a need for effective therapies for such stings.